Global Cement News

Syria: The General Company for Cement and Building Materials (Al-Omran) has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with UAE-based consultancy A³&Co. to develop a third production line at the Hama cement plant. The deal also covers technical workforce training and designates A³&Co. as strategic advisor to align the sector with global sustainability standards.

General manager of Al-Omran Mahmoud Fadila and A³&Co. CEO Amr Nader signed the agreement in Damascus. It includes reducing the industry’s environmental footprint, studying energy use to raise efficiency, and establishing workshops, evaluation systems and internationally accredited testing centres.

Pakistan: Kot Addu Power Company (KAPCO) and Fauji Foundation have submitted a binding offer to acquire Pharaon Investment Group’s entire 84% stake in Attock Cement, according to Pakistan Today news. Each acquirer intends to purchase 42% of the company’s issued and paid-up capital.

KAPCO confirmed the development in a notice to the Pakistan Stock Exchange. The offer remains subject to acceptance by the seller, execution of a share purchase agreement, regulatory approvals and other conditions. The partners first declared their intention to jointly acquire control of Attock Cement in June 2025.

India: Leading cement producers have broadly reported ‘strong’ performances in the three months to 30 June 2025, driven by increased government spending on key infrastructure projects. They expect their bottom lines to continue to rise in the rest of the 2026 financial year (FY2026), which ends on 31 March 2026, with coal and petcoke prices expected to remain at a lower level than in FY2025.

UltraTech Cement reported 10% growth in its cement sales volumes in the first quarter of FY2026, to 36.8Mt, helped by acquisitions of India Cements and the cement business of Kesoram Industries. Adani Group subsidiary Ambuja Cements also reported its highest-ever sales volumes, of 18.4Mt. Birla Corporation’s sales volumes rose by 9% per cent to 4.8Mt, while Nirma Group subsidiary Nuvoco Vistas reported sales volumes of 5.1Mt.

However, some companies, including Shree Cement, saw their volumes decline due to geopolitical tensions in the North of India. Dalmia Bharat's sales volumes fell by 6% to 7.4Mt, impacted by the discontinuation of tolling volumes from Jaypee Cement, while Ramco Cements reported a 7% decline due to early monsoon rains in Kerala.

In the near-term future, demand is expected to be flat in the second quarter of FY2026 due to the monsoon season. However, companies anticipate growth in the third and fourth quarters of the year, with volumes growth of around 7% anticipated across the whole of FY2026.

Mexico: Cement consumption fell by 8 – 10% in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period of 2024, according to José María Barroso Martínez, CEO of Cementos Moctezuma. He attributed the drop to factors such as the change of government in Mexico, the US government's tariff policy, a decrease in small-scale private works and on-going negotiations towards a replacement for the United States – Mexico – Canada Agreement (USMCA) for North American free trade, among other factors.

In an interview with Grupo Reforma News, Martínez said “Cement is the first variable that moves when the economy accelerates or decelerates. In the second half of 2025 we can achieve additional volumes to correct the trend and close the year similar 2024, when the industry reached close to 42Mt sold."

Germany: A major clean-up operation is underway at Heidelberg Materials’ Burglengenfeld plant in Bavaria following a fire on 17 August 2025. The fire began in the plant’s waste plastic fuel storage hall and was attended by more than 340 firefighters, who managed to prevent it spreading to other areas of the plant. Waste plastic is the Burglengenfeld plant’s main fuel.

The damage is nevertheless considerable, amounting at least to ‘ hundreds of thousands of Euros,’ according to plant manager Bernhard Reindl. He also announced that a structural engineer will inspect the hall's structure in the coming days. It is already clear that the roof will have to be at least partially dismantled and replaced.

However, despite the disruption, cement production has been able to continue, with lignite being used on a temporary basis until the waste plastic fuel facility is repaired. The kiln is reported to be operating at 80% of its usual capacity.

How the fire in the warehouse started remains unclear, but Reindl suspects a smouldering fire, similar to a considerably smaller one that affected the same building in October 2024. Burglengenfeld police station has begun an investigation into the cause.